In order of appearance these are the 5 outfits (+ one included coat) that I wore for the week of the Wardrobe Capsule Challenge as put forth by the ever lovely Jane of WorkThatWardrobe.
If you'd like to see an actual list of the 10 wardrobe pieces & 5 accessories, click here.
Ok, so -- I learned many things from doing this challenge....such as:
The value of accessories. If I had unlimited use of accessories I really think I could have made these 5 outfits using the exact same pieces of clothing even more vastly different. And this is good to know. For one thing accessories can be REALLY inexpensive so you can majorly stretch your wardrobe dollar by making good use of the little things like jewelry, scarves, belts, etc. And if you were packing for a trip, well, this could really be a space saver as accessories take up way less room than clothing.The value of good basic pieces. The sheath dress worn on Day 1 and Day 4, for example, is a good basic piece. In one of the comments I called it "the little dress that could" -- on it's own it is rather plain Jane, but boy it goes with just about anything and is soooo easily jazzed up with minimal effort. I think I need to concentrate on finding a few more things like that to strengthen the foundation of my wardrobe.
The value of planning ahead. It was remarkably easy getting dressed this week! As a SAHM who also homeschools so much of my day isn't strictly regimented that I have the illusion of time. But it's a false impression, since in actuality my time is rarely my own -- as the mother of any toddler can attest, lol. Weekday wardrobe planning ahead of time would free me to eek out a little more "me time" in other areas. But on the other hand, for the weekends I'd still want to slowly peruse my closet pondering what to wear because that's fun & creative for me too...and I think I'd miss that time...staring into my closet with my morning cup of coffee in hand, open to all the possibilities a leisurely Sunday has to offer.
The value of making do with what I've got. I've got plenty to wear. I can make outfits...lots of them...from what I already have. If I didn't buy another thing I could make do for a long time. That says alot, both about what I've purchased thus far and what I've learned in terms of what to do with my clothes. And the best part is there's still more to learn, even further ways to get more out of my wardrobe. I think that's exciting!
The value of imagination and taking chances. There were a couple things I tried this week that worked really well, that I might not have attempted if it weren't for the challenge. For example: I got alot of use out of a little pin...as a necklace, a cardigan clip and worn as the pin it was intended to be. I also discovered that my trench coat looks FABULOUS with a regular belt and not just the tie that came with it. On the other hand, the green blouse belt thing tied around my neck -- eh, not lovin it so much. But over all I gained waaaaay more by taking some chances than I lost. Plus it was fun :)
The inventiveness of others is hugely inspiring. Sheila of Ephemera used stellar color combinations and a fab printed skirt I covet. I loved Goober's polyvore layouts -- fashion art! The deep saturated colored tops that notSupermum chose really caught my eye. Karen from Of a Certain Age wowed me with pattern mixing. Spiragirl of School Gate Chic wore outfits w/perfectly gorgeous silhouettes. Kristen of Shallow Coffee made a graphic tee chic & cute. Kasmira, the ever stylish from What I Wore Today took a dress to new heights of versatility. And last but never least, Jane of Workthatwardrobe -- the woman who started this all -- was gorgeous in shades of red and has me hunting for a petticoat I didn't even know I had to have!
I’ve only been blogging about style for an incredibly short time but I feel like I’ve entered a lovely little community of wonderful, talented, smart women who have a lot to teach me. I adore you all and have gained so much inspiration from your examples. Thank you :)
So, that’s my wrap up – now it’s time for some new outfits using absolutely none of the clothes I wore this week, lol!!!
See ya Tuesday…
7 comments:
Nice work!
Well done, Kayleigh, and a great insightful wrapup to your week. I found many of the same things as you, including my confirmation of my goal of one whole year without buying new clothes (consignment only, with the One In, One Out rule in effect).
You have a great eye for colour and mixing - and your creativity is wonderful.
Great job on the challenge!
(I was homeschooled and I come from a very pro-homeschooling family! Whee!)
Thanks all!
Autumn...Wow, small world that you were homeschooled -- did you like it over all? We are actually considering sending 7yoDD to school next year if she wants to go since I think she needs more social interaction than I can arrange for her now that we have her little bro.
Sheila -- I read some of your wrap up but got interupted (see above, lol) and can't wait to get back to it...I thought yours was really well done too! You know, I really feel like since starting this blog I've learned a ton from talented & generous people like you and I can even already see it in my own brief "style evolution" thus far, so to speak. Thanks for your kindness :)
WendyB...nice to "meet" you -- your blog & jewelry look really cool! Thanks for stopping by :)
This is a great post K, I learned a lot from just reading this!! I like seeing all of your pictures together, awesome job on the challenge.
I particularly agree with what you said about the value of accessories and travel - this is a great tip that could help free up some much-needed room in my suitcases!
I also like what you said about planning ahead. I really need to focus on doing this more. I'm always in such a rush to get out the door in the AM and a lot of times fashion is my last priority. A little planning goes such a long way! Plus planning is the fun part!
Kayleigh, what a great post - you put a lot of thought into what you had learned. And thanks for the mention!
Btw, I added you to my blogroll but for some reason it's only showing an old post from 4 weeks ago. Not sure why though.
What a fantastic post and I am glad it had such a positive effect in you.
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